Experimentation in Recovery
by Aurora Bluewolf
Summary: After being kidnapped by Aizen, four shinigami must work toward restoring themselves with the help of their saviors. AU Winter's War, Vizards included. Byakuya/Renji, Kensei/Hisagi, Ikkaku/Yumichika, Ukitake/Kyoraku, Ichigo/Rukia, Shinji/Hiyori. Experimental fic. Rated for author's cursing. Romantic or not depending on how you read it.
1. Chapter 1

So, unless you are a very privileged individual who can see into the future, this experiment is underway. As most of you know, I like to post experimental writings for feedback- and here's the latest one. I should tell you, there are a few caveats with this experiment:

-Since I want to play with subtly, I'm not revealing what happened. Read on and you will understand, but fill in the blanks with your own subconscious ideas on the history. Also, I became very indecisive on what exactly I wanted to happen, but it boiled down to trauma.

-This can theoretically be read as yaoi, shonen ai, or just bromance. I ask nicely that should you comment, be respectful of your fellow readers and please don't insult anyone. The only thing I wish to gain out of this writing (outside a bit of confidence in my writing abilities) is feedback on how this reads.

Setting: Winter War AU- Aizen not defeated, but retreated and regrouped. Vizards replaced respective captains/ additional lieutenants. Sojiro Kusaka (DiamondDust Rebellion) has returned in the most unexpected way.

Interactions or pairings (depending on how you see this):

Toshiro Hitsugaya x Sojiro Kusaka

Shunsei Kyoraku x Jyuushiro Ukitake

Kensei Muguruma x Shuuhei Hisagi

Byakuya Kuchiki x Renji Abarai

Ikkaku Maderame x Yumichika Asayagawa

Shinji Hirako x Hiyori Sarugaki

Ichigo Kurosaki x Rukia Kuchiki

* * *

The rescue had been rather uneventful (well, at least for one of their rescues). Amazingly enough, no surprises outside of the new ally. No unexpected showdowns with kooky sidekicks or ridiculously strong enemies- nope. Not even a visible menacing evildoer to stop them with a monolog of his horrible scheme. Everything had gone down perfectly- and if Toshiro had any mind left to think about it, he would have probed the possibility that Aizen had wanted the Seireitei's forces to retrieve their members from Szayel's lab.

Then again, over forty eight hours of no sleep and sitting in this hard as hell chair had left his back in a mess and his mind in a tizzy. Beside him, Byakuya had apparently dozed off in his patient waiting, and to his other side, Zaraki, Yachiru, and a miserable Ikkaku slouched together against the corner of the Squad four waiting room. Kensei had been in and out from time to time, and Shunsui was soberly staring at the wall from his preferred position on the floor in front of Zaraki. Toshiro was still subconsciously waiting for ruffled pink haori to produce five bottles of sake with an offer for a relaxing drink.

To his amazement, Retsu hadn't shown herself since she'd disappeared into the private healing suites adjacent to their current position. The ever scary and kind Retsu wouldn't even allow the rescuers to see their compatriots after Yamamoto had spent fifteen hours punishing them for the rebellious act of defiance. Breaking into Hueco Mundo without prior approval from the Soutaicho, rescuing traitors (although, anyone with half a brain cell to their name would easily demolish that ruling in light of their friends being captured during a hollow invasion), bringing said traitors back to the Soul Society without prior notice and unrestrained, and worst of all- accidentally slicing off part of the Soutaicho's beard during a fight. In truth, Shunsui hadn't meant to do it- but he accepted his punishment with the same worn down smirk he'd sported for the last five weeks of Ukitake's absence. Despite years of womanizing, there had always been a betting pool favoring the two taichos inclinations. Whether or not it was true had yet to be seen, but Toshiro caught an occasional moment between the two before a meeting with Yamamoto from the corner of his eye. It wasn't hard to see that the peaceful happiness that resounded between the pair could make an entire meeting feel like a trip to paradise.

Toshiro's concentration was broken as the door opened carefully to reveal one of Retsu's squad members scooting out around the taichos to retrieve more supplies. Hitsugaya allowed himself to settle back down with a quick sideways glance to the others. Ikkaku, who'd given a royal beating to the minor hollows that did get in their way during the rescue, hadn't bathed since their return. To be fair, none of them had attended to their own personal needs since their return, but Retsu's squad had kept them well fed and hydrated. Ikkaku, Kensei and Zaraki had taken the majority of the fighting during the rescue. The resulting odor of sweat and rage made for an odd concoction that was certain to garner a scolding retort from Yumichika when he awoke.

Byakuya hadn't said much, if anything memorable, since they'd arrived. When they found the kidnapped captives in Hueco Mundo, he'd been the first to act- breaking the cold prison cells bearing their friends with one thrust of Senbonzakura. He hadn't even looked back at the others as he'd retrieved his unconscious fukutaicho from the freezing floor. Thankfully, as Hitsugaya was grabbing Yumichika, their new masked friend took Hisagi and Shunsui managed to grab Ukitake while nursing a slashed arm.

Hours seemed to elongate into days as they waited for that blasted door to open again. Kensei quietly returned and took a slumped seat next to Shunsui on the floor. Toshiro could tell he'd been taking his frustration out on the training grounds, and didn't blame the man. Kensei seemed uptight about his squad when he'd returned to the Seireitei, but he'd been particularly strict when it came to Hisagi. Perhaps it was because he recognized the young brat he'd saved from the Rukongai that odd day or perhaps because Hisagi seemed to still be utterly infatuated with the older man, but either way- he held Hisagi to a higher grade of perfection.

His train of thought was broken once again as the Squad Four taicho exited the room. She looked at each of the men, who were either waking up from their respective states of mediation or gazing at her with knowledge hungry and battle weary eyes. She hadn't expected all of them to wait so long, but knew better than to bother telling them to go home. Men could be so stubborn some days.

"I believe they will each make a full recovery," She began as they all started to rise from their positions and stretch out their stiff muscles. "But I must insist they stay here for a few more days. I will speak to each of you individually, but you may see them in their rooms." Retsu stepped aside as they filed in quietly. She held her hand to cease Hitsugaya's movements. He peeked around the corner to see his new masked friend, who'd been minimally injured during their fight, standing inside the door frame. As the other taichos quietly slid into the respective rooms in the private quarters usually reserved for fukutaichos and taichos, the three of them gathered in the opening of the door.

"Would you like to tell him now?" Retsu asked with a kind smile towards the young man, who was now holding his cloak in his arms. They'd stumbled across this young man in Hueco Mundo, but his shinigami attire stated his affiliation, and his filched hollow mask covered his face enough for protection. They had to trust him on the fly, and without an offered name, they'd rescued the captives with minimal chaos. For that, Hitsugaya cut him a deal to bring him back to the Seireitei under the assumption he'd been lost on an expedition, or exiled here for another one of Central 46's idiotic laws. His own emotional scars still burning from the loss of-

No.

He wasn't going to progress by bringing it up again. Matsumoto and his friends had been trying so hard to get him to move forward, but he was stagnating again and he knew it. He had to-

The man removed his mask to reveal a beautiful face, unscathed and youthful. Hitsugaya's mind froze in an instant as he retraced every curve of those dark eyes. Those eyes that had been the first friendly eyes to greet him at the academy. Those orbs- which had been filled with laughter during lunch breaks. Those long missed eyes of the first person he would ever call friend outside of his family. The person he'd fought for Hyorinmaru. The person he'd-

"Hello. I'm Kusaka Sojiro. It's nice to formally meet you, Hitsugaya taicho." He said with a prompt, polite bow. Hitsugaya, still partially frozen in shock and hearing nothing but muffled speech, returned a small head nod.

"It seems that the- 'issue' with his zanpakuto has been resolved, and I received word that he is going to be reintegrated into the Shino Academy at the beginning of next semester from Soutaicho." Retsu said as Hitsugaya still remained painfully still. Unease set through Sojiro like a viper's bite, and he began to retract his initial happiness.

"Hitsugaya taicho?" Sojiro asked gently.

"But- I don't understand. I thought- thought you were dead." Hitsugaya blurted out in a trance. Hurt bloomed through Sojiro, mixing with his confusion.

"Actually, Sojiro only appeared in Hueco Mundo a short while ago. It seems all has been forgiven by someone above us, and he has been granted a very generous second chance." Retsu gently pulled Hitsugaya's ear closer to her mouth "Which means he has no memories of his former life." Retsu reemphasized her point by giving Sojiro a reassuring look.

"Yes- of course." Hitsugaya finally regained his mind, snapping himself out of his trance. Sojiro looked a bit more relaxed as Retsu placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and pushed him towards Toshiro.

"Now, we can make arrangements for you to stay-"

"Stay with me." Toshiro demanded suddenly, catching both shinigamis off guard. Retsu, half expecting some kind of reaction from Hitsugaya, smiled gently yet again.

"What do you say, Sojiro?" She asked carefully.

"I'll stay with Hitsugaya taicho." Sojiro replied as he pulled his cloak and mask closer to his body with childish unease decorated with a weak smile. Hitsugaya allowed an internal chuckle to echo through his mind at the reversed positions. He'd forgotten how much he liked feeling odd at Sojiro's offhand statements.

* * *

"Kyoraku." Retsu acknowledged as she entered the darkened room. The tiny candle she'd left had dwindled to near nothing, and Shunsui was slumped between the bed and the chair, his hands barely reaching his long time friend. She'd expected the pink clad taicho to be a little out of sorts from his typical behavior, but this was not the Kyoraku she was expecting. This was a man sincerely worried about his friend. As long as she'd known them, Jyuushiro had always been sick but happy, and Kyoraku had been a womanizing drunk. Right now, she was disappointingly happy that he'd forgotten his sake bottles. Never in all of her days as a taicho had she seen two closer men. Was it love? That was a vague question at best. Love came in many forms, and there had always been a friendly, healthy level of trust between the two.

"Did it act up again?" Kyoraku asked on an almost robotic level. Retsu wasn't expecting that tone to ever inhabit Shunsui's voice.

"That's something I wish to speak to you about. It seems" She sighed as she took a seat next to the pair on the bed, slightly crowding it. "that not only did Aizen's forces experiment on Ukitake taicho, but the disease is gone." She announced carefully. Over 150 years of treatment, and what did she have to show for her efforts against Ukitake's lungs? Nada. Yet in a fortnight, Aizen's forces had not only cured the beloved taicho of his affliction, but had added something. What exactly, she was unsure- but it had diverted enough of a blood flow from his thoracic artery and had integrated itself into his body completely.

"It's gone?" Kyoraku asked, his weariness showing his shock despite his haggard eyelids drooping by the second.

"As far as I could tell, it has vanished from his lungs. As well as the scar tissue. But, I should tell you, Aizen-" Retsu started.

"What'd he do to Jyuu-chan?" Kyoraku blurted out awkwardly.

"He implanted something inside Ukitake's body. I will need to do some more tests when he is awake, and perhaps he can recount what happened during his captivity. But until he awakes, we will just have to wait." Retsu announced as she lifted herself from the bed and gently took the candle from its position while heading towards the door. "If you'd like, the bed can hold two. That chair won't be comfortable in the morning."

* * *

Retsu peaked into Yumichika's room, but seeing as the triple threat of waking a slumbering Zaraki, Yachiru, and Ikkaku was well presented, she quietly slipped the door shut. Although, the sight of Yachiru drooling on Ikkaku's head while the bald man half draped himself over Yumichika's bed was a priceless sight. Morning would tell a different tale from the beauty of Squad Eleven.

* * *

Kensei was in better shape than the rest of the heroes. He had taken his standing position next to the unconscious Hisagi. Retsu gently nudged him as his attention stopped taking inventory of potential injuries and how to improve Shuuhei's fighting style to prevent this next time. Well, who was he kidding- it could have been prevented if the hollow invasion hadn't happened at three in the morning, or if the four targeted shinigami's hadn't been targeted in the first place, or if the alarm hadn't gone off after they'd been captured, or if their zanpakuto hadn't been left behind while-

"Kensei." Retsu said gently, breaking his internal rant.

"Eh." He responded gruffly. At least he'd taken the time to bath to some degree before coming to see Hisagi. Retsu hadn't paid attention to the smell too much until she was away from the men, but now that she had a chance to breathe, she realized how bad it smelled.

"His injuries were minor, but he seems to have undergone the same experimentation the others endured." Retsu replied.

"What kind of experimentation?" Kensei asked, more out of stoic curiosity than visible concern. The last thing he wanted was for these four to end up like the Vizards. Sure, they were powerful, but the idea of something being forced on his favorite fanboy left a sour taste in the back of his mouth.

"I can't say for sure. I could say what it looks like, but confirmation is limited at best right now. I will see what information I can glean from them in the morning, but Shuuhei's injuries are minimal. You shouldn't expect any difference in his physical performance." Retsu returned, knowing that the fukutaicho's abilities in the field were just as precious as his abilities in the office. Kensei had always placed an exceptional emphasis on physical abilities from his squad, and Hisagi had worked ridiculously hard to remain in Kensei's good graces. He wouldn't tell the brat, but he wouldn't have booted the tattooed fukutaicho just for being a little behind since the whole betrayal.

"But… he's not going to become one of 'us', right?" Kensei growled out as his fist clenched.

"As far as I can tell, no. Though, I will have to wait until he's awake to truly see." Retsu replied.

"Well, since we aren't sure, I'll stay with him for the night." Kensei said as he took a heavy seat next to the slumbering fukutaicho. Retsu allowed herself a small chuckle as she admired the large man.

"If you get stiff, the bed can easily hold two."

* * *

Kuchiki was the last person to see. His quiet wake at Abarai's side told much of his typical, ramrod straight personality. Stiff postured and silently meditating, he sat next to his fukutaicho with his standard look of disdain.

"Kuchiki taicho." Retsu addressed formally.

"Unohana taicho." He replied.

"I expect a full recovery, but the experimentation in Hueco Mundo took its toll on his body. He will need to remain under my care for a few more days." Retsu explained calmly.

"Will it affect his ability to carry out his duties?" Byakuya asked briskly.

"No, but I need to understand exactly what they placed into all four of their bodies. It doesn't seem to hurt them, but it is redirecting a large flow of blood. Removal may not be an option." Retsu replied.

"I see." Byakuya returned.

"If you get tired, the bed can-" Retsu began he partially memorized speech.

"No thank you. I just wanted to see if I needed a replacement fukutaicho. I will take my leave." Byakuya said as he turned to leave. Retsu brushed this off this briskness of his statement, but caught the sight of Byakuya's scarf slipping off of the bedside table.

* * *

Ok, end of chapter 1. Please leave a review if you don't mind, but be polite. I've always found that the best advice is delivered with a polite tongue and a well thought out message.

I must confess, the whole Marius thing got me down about half way through this chapter, so it may be up for tiny rewrites in the future.


	2. Chapter 2

A major thanks to everyone who reviewed. Some of you made me blush! And since I'm facing virtual imprisonment in my room for a few weeks, we'll probably see more updates in the near future.

Please review if you don't mind! They really make me happy~

I don't own Bleach, it is simply serving as a canvas for a greater purpose.

* * *

The Squad ten barracks were silent as the pair made their way towards Hitsugaya's personal quarters. Sojiro kept close to the silver haired taicho in these unfamiliar surroundings, knowing that he didn't want to cause any more trouble than he already had. As they reached a large wooden door, similar to the endless rows of others that lined the hallways, Sojiro felt another wave of uncertainty wash over him as Hitsugaya unlocked the private quarters. The silver haired taicho disappeared into the darkness of the room with a quiet motion to follow him. Sojiro obeyed silently, still maintaining the death grip on his tattered cloak and salvaged hollow mask.

It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the lit candle Hitsugaya picked up as he entered. The smaller taicho's quarters were admirable, especially to someone who'd only lived in the creepy white halls of Hueco Mundo for as long as he had. Sure, Syazel's lab was huge, but it never felt like a home. To be fair, he hadn't been alive long enough to know exactly what a home felt like, but he wanted to be part of it. Especially after hearing Nel talk about it. Despite the fact that she was a pure hollow and he was only masquerading as one (Syazel had insisted that he wear one of the smaller hollow masks left over from his experiments, which was justified by the hungry looks he garnered from the hollows. There was no secret amongst the Espada- he was Syazel's pet shinigami, and he would make a tasty meal when the mad scientist was done with him.) she was often very kind to him when they crossed paths.

"This will be your room." Toshiro said as he gently opened the door to a cold room. Toshiro didn't have many guests in his time as taicho, so this room usually received little to no attention from month to month. Toshiro quietly entered the room and pulled out the spare futon and heavy blanket from the closet.

"Thank you, Hitsugaya taicho." Part of Toshiro cringed as the quiet words escaped the lips of his former friend. That tiny voice sounded nothing like the vibrant man he'd called friend, and it grated on his ears.

"Please, between us, call me Toshiro." Hitsugaya requested quietly, trying not to let the memories of the academy thrash in his brain. He'd forgotten how many times he'd told Sojiro to call him by his family name- and yet, here they were, roles reversed. At this rate, he half expected to come in the morning to a sober Matsumoto holding all of her paperwork completed and in proper order.

Yeah, right. He'd kiss Yamamoto on the lips if that ever happened.

* * *

Yumichika was expecting to wake to cold floors and walls. He was expecting more arrancars grabbing his arms and forcing him to the floor as the pink haired monster stabbed him with another injection of Kami knows what. He expected another day of gut wrenching pain at the hands of Syazel.

He wasn't expecting to awake to a soft bed and comfortable blankets wrapped around him, or the subtle shine of a certain bald head through his eyelashes as he peeked into the quiet darkness surrounding them.

By comparison to his expectations, the smell oozing off his saviors was a welcomed relief. Even as his nose twisted into a figure eight, he forced his unusually heavy eyes open to see his friends. The first sight was Ikkaku's bald head being partially consumed by Yachiru's drooling mouth. A tiny glance to the left revealed Kenpachi leaning against the wall in what could only be defined as a slouching bear position.

Yumichika gently pushed himself up on his numb arms, his mind barely registering why they were numb. The sun was barely peaking over the buildings in the distance as he gently ruffled his sweat hardened hair from his face. His lungs still hurt from the last experiment under the arrancar's care. He vaguely recalled the beating he took from the pink haired psychopath, and the disgusting sound of his ribs giving out under the pressure of the tentacles crushing him. What was worse, the arrancar had taken the time to mock him about his looks. With no clothing to block the hungry eyes of the scientist's subordinates, Yumi was certain he wasn't the only one feeling rather exposed. Their cold, clammy hands would grip his nude body and crush any physical resolve he had left in a matter of minutes- assuming he allowed his mind to slip. Thankfully, he was so drugged through the most humiliation; he could barely fight back with any true passion. Perhaps, if Retsu was kind enough not to report it, he wouldn't have to deal with Kenpachi and Ikkaku finding out. The inner shame would be the death of him long before Kenpachi threw him out of the 11th Division and Ikkaku scoffed at him for being so weak.

He gently pushed himself into an upright sitting position as he did his best not to wake the rough trio. A rare moment of quiet amongst the 11th Division was much appreciated to the 5th seat's ears.

Yumichika's inner rambling was interrupted as Unohana taicho quietly opened the door. She quietly stepped over to the unoccupied side of Yumi's bed, bringing a small box of bandages and salves to clean his injuries. He hadn't taken into account the extent of the physical damage when he awoke. The memories of the psychological torture was enough to keep him distracted. For Yumichika, the pink haired monster chose to torment him about his insecurities towards himself and the 11th Division. He even pried into his relationship with Ikkaku- taunting the beauty with the fearful facts: Ikkaku would never accept him with a kido type zanpakuto. Every day, quiet whispering throughout his cell of how weak he was, and how he wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for Ikkaku. Threatening little hushes of the life he had before he ran with the bald man.

"Good morning, Asayagawa." Unohana taicho hushed as she began cleaning his wounds, doing her best not to wake the slumbering trio. Though the subtle ceasing of snores indicated that Kenpachi was awake, they didn't want to wake the remaining two.

"Good morning, Unohana taicho." Yumichika replied in a quiet, robotic manner. He held his arms up as she unwrapped his chest and began to heal his ribs again. They hadn't managed to complete the treatment the night before, mostly due to limited staff and overall damage limiting what they could heal in one session.

"Your wounds are healing nicely. You should be able to return to Division Eleven by the end of the week." Retsu spoke, still keeping her voice very low. They both knew that Kenpachi was either biding his time to keep Yachiru asleep, or was listening in on the conversation. Despite his brash exterior, Kenpachi was a smart guy. He knew that the beauty wouldn't tell him anything about what happened in Hueco Mundo, so if he wanted to figure anything out, he'd have to listen in.

"I take it the…'experiment'- was removed?" Yumichika asked, unsure of what exactly happened back there. Then again, he was half certain he didn't want to know what happened under the pink haired monster's care. He'd seen enough corpses hanging in Syazel's lab to solidify any urge to learn what the hell had gone down.

"Unfortunately, no. It's integrated into your body. I cannot remove it safely until I speak to Tenjiro. And even then, it seems to have… odd properties. I need his opinion before proceeding forward." Unohana said as she closed his robe over the healed flesh. Yumichika introverted back into his quiet mind as she replaced her tools and carefully began to move out of the room.

"Oh, and Zaraki taicho?" Unohana spoke again, making the large man perk his head up from his feigned slumber.

"Yes?" He replied, not bothering to lower his voice as Yachiru awoke with an eye rub and a yawn.

"No fighting for Fifth seat Asayagawa until further notice. I will require him to join the others for testing until we decide on a plan." She said as she gave her tools to the waiting attendant.

"Yes ma'am" Kenpachi replied, eyeing her with a proud smirk as she exited the room.

"Zaraki taicho." Yumi blankly spoke as Kenpachi rose from his position and stretched out his muscles.

"Feathers is ok!" Yachiru said as she detached her mouth from Ikkaku's head and crawled up on the bed to Yumichika's gentle embrace. He was used to her getting clingy after he disappeared for a while, but she did that with Ikkaku and Kenpachi as well.

"Hello, Yachiru." Yumichika greeted with a fake smile. Shit, it'd been so long since he'd last faked a smile, smirk or snicker, he'd almost forgotten how to do it. His muscles refused to agree with him as he forced them upwards, straining from his effort. Oh, the wrinkles he'd face when all this blew over.

"Yeah, yeah. Finish the mushy stuff. We gotta get goin' and fruitcake needs his rest. He's got a lot of training to do when he's back up. Ikkaku!" Kenpachi growled. Ikkaku snapped out of his slight trance against the side of Yumi's bed and looked towards his taicho.

"Yes sir!" Ikkaku replied quickly.

"Get yer ass to the showers and stay with Fruitcake for the rest of the day. Yer useless to me when he's not around." Kenpachi said as he brushed the dirt off of his haori. Yachiru gave Yumichika one last hug before detaching herself from his chest and hopping onto Kenpachi's back.

"Yes sir." Ikkaku agreed.

"Bye Feathers! We'll see you later!" Yachiru said as Kenpachi exited the room. As they left, Ikkaku's silent, sympathetic frown turned towards his best friend.

"So… um… How are you feeling?" Ikkaku forced out.

"I'm-I'm ok." Yumi said as he curled into his own lap. Ikkaku hauled himself out of his slouching position and seated himself on the bed.

"Does anything hurt?" Ikkaku asked as he looked up and down Yumichika's exposed body. The robe covered a fair bit, but he could still see a bruise here and there. When they'd recovered the beautiful man from Hueco Mundo, he had lacerations and bruises everywhere. Ikkaku barely recognized him after they returned to the bright skies of the Seireitei. When they had a few minutes to observe their rescues, Ikkaku noticed the large cut that ran through his friend's midsection. He originally wrote it off as a war wound, but after overhearing the conversations Unohana was having with the other taichos through the walls while he feigned slumber, he was starting to second guess his thoughts. What if something that monster did killed Yumichika? His friend wouldn't die in such a pitiful way! Yumi was a proud member of Division 11! He'd die in glorious battle, just like all warriors should!

"No. Not really." Yumichika finally replied. Ikkaku decided to make his move, wrapping his hand around Yumichika's and pulling the feathered beauty into a warm embrace.

"I…shit- I got scared when you didn't come." Ikkaku admitted. Truth be told, he actually ended up getting slapped by Kenpachi when he freaked out. He had every right to freak out after his friend had been kidnapped by Aizen for- well, who the hell knows exactly what?

"I'm sorry." Was all Yumichika could say.

"Ruri'iro was scared too." Ikkaku said as he kept holding the lighter man. Yumichika's eyes shot wide open as he gasped unintentionally. He tried to shove Ikkaku away, but failed as the stronger man held him in place.

"You- you know?! How'd you find out?" Yumi gasped as he tried his best to fight.

"Hozukimaru told me. They talk. A lot." Ikkaku said as he kept his grip firmly around the beauty.

"How… How long?" Yumichika asked after a few minutes of flailing resided to him being pressed against the larger man's covered chest.

"Years, Yumi. And I know why you're scared, but you don't need to be. Ya ain't getting' kicked out of old Squad 11. Kenpachi already knew, and he doesn't care." Ikkaku paused for a moment to let Yumi regain a sitting position that didn't pull him forward as much.

"He… he knows too?" Yumichika stuttered as frustrated tears poured from between his eyelashes.

"Yeah. Gave me the preachy speech about you still being the fourth strongest in the Squad, and that you're the only one who can file stuff properly. Your secret's safe with the three of us." Ikkaku said as he brushed his fingers along the hem of his friend's white robe.

"And what about us?" Yumi forced out the difficult question.

"What about us?" Ikkak returned in question.

"Are you ok with me and- all of this?" Yumichika tossed his hand off to the side as he spoke, creating emphasis on his current state of mind as the watery tears stifled themselves.

"Seriously? Yumi, I've been good with this for years. I wouldn't leave you if you turned into a hollow tentacle monster and started making balloon animals." Ikkaku said as he pulled the smaller man into another hug and pressed his lips into the side of the mussed hair. Yumichika may not have noticed, but he'd been waiting about twenty years too long to do that. Yumi reciprocated, wrapping himself around Ikkaku for a moment before pushing his head towards Ikkaku's ear.

"Ikkaku?" He said.

"Yeah?" The bald man replied.

"You stink."

* * *

Shuuhei had not awakened by the time Kensei rose from his chair. It was early morning, and he knew he had to return to the barracks before Mashiro destroyed the place looking for him. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should even consider leaving. What if the kid turned into a hollow? Would Retsu follow through the same orders given to deal with every new hollow? Would he lose his favorite fan to the same damnable condemnation Aizen had bestowed on him? Maybe the hyperactive 'super lieutenant' wouldn't destroy the entire Division Nine barracks searching for him if he was a little late.

"Taicho." Shuuhei's voice snipped through the rising blue light of the morning sun. Kensei turned towards the oddly serious eyes of his subordinate. He'd never thought he'd see emptiness in Shuuhei's eyes, having grown so used to seeing them so happy and full of energy in the previous months. He approached the younger man quietly, placing his gloved hand on the kid's brow.

"Hey. You're lookin' better." Kensei tried, failing at starting a conversation with the man he'd allowed to enter his small circle of 'friends'.

"I'm sorry for sleeping late." Shuuhei started. Kensei chuckled at the younger man, knowing very well that the early riser was ashamed when he fell ill or drank too much with his friends (or with Kensei) and slept too late. As the younger man began to sit up, Kensei placed a free, rough hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down on the mattress.

"Don't be. You've been through hell, and Unohana will want to take another look at your injuries. Right now, you've every reason and right to sleep the day away." Kensei said flatly as he unconsciously readjusted the sheets around the younger man.

"And when you are released, you are under the same restrictions as the other three. No combat until further notice." Unohana said as she entered the room, shutting the door behind her. Kensei moved from the sitting position against the bed to allow Unohana access to the patient. He bowed politely as he exited, waving to Shuuhei as he slipped out the same door.

"Unohana taicho." Shuuhei said as she began untying his robes. The same large wound that Syazel had sewn into all four of them decorated his front, carving painfully into his abdomen.

"Stay still. There is major muscle group damage, and you need your strength. Now, do you have any questions?" Unohana asked as she began slowly healing the wound. Shuuhei thought for a moment as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"What the hell did he do to me?" The question came out like poison on his tongue. Unohana had expected the others would have the same question, but Shuuhei was the first to ask.

"He seems to have inserted a living space capable of sustaining life. It's so well integrated, standard removal techniques would guarantee death by blood loss." Unohana began.

"So he shoved something into me that-that-" Shuuhei began to panic.

"No. It's not like a woman's. It's essentially a space for parasitic life to be inserted. It does not seem that it can generate life on its own. We believe, based on Kusaka's recollections, that Syazel was planning on inserting small hollows into the four of you, allowing them to siphon off the denser reishei inside of your bodies, and then remove them for other experiments. There was no intention of forming new life." Unohana stated as she finished repairing the wound. She refastened the robe around Shuuhei's front, who now looked like he was about to cry.

"So… I'm not a freak?" Shuuhei asked while maintaining an unnoticeable death grip on his sheets.

"Not at all. I will speak to Tenjiro soon, and we will decide on the best method of removal. Until then, please do not take any chances. Rest well." Unohana said as she began to make for the exit.

"Unohana taicho?" Shuuhei began again. She stopped for a moment and turned towards him.

"Yes, Hisagi fukutaicho?" She replied.

"Thank you." He said as he fell asleep again.

* * *

Unohana had finished Renji's repair last night, and knew that she didn't need to visit the young lieutenant before lunch time, but she peeked in anyway. Curled on his side with his fingers firmly wrapped around the white scarf was a heavily tattooed man. Retsu couldn't see his face well enough, but she could tell that Renji must have woken earlier to pull the scarf close to him. The unspoken bond between the cold taicho and the red head was strange, but at least Abarai was sleeping without another dose of sedatives.

* * *

Jushiro had been turned into Shunsui's care by midmorning, and thankfully had healed well during the night. He didn't want to return to Ugendo with his family and staff fretting over his unplanned vacation in Hueco Mundo- knowing them, chances were he'd never get a single moment of rest. But Shunsei had refused to leave his side during the night, and he assumed he'd worried his best friend so much, leaving him now would just be cruelty. Shunsui made sure to make Jushiro comfortable in the sanctity of his own taicho quarters, well away from the incessant noise and bother of the crowds, before going to take a shower.

He returned to find Jushiro sleeping soundly in rumpled blankets between the mounds of pillows he kept in his bedroom. He slipped over to his best friend's side, assuming a sitting position.

"You have no idea how worried I was when I found Sogno no Kotowari left in your quarters. And you'll probably never know how much I plotted and planned for the rescue. Shit, you'll probably laugh when you hear I didn't drink one drop of sake while you were gone. What's worse…" Shunsui ceased his whispered rant as Jushiro's breathing took a moment too long to continue. When the pace evened again, he carefully continued.

"What's worse, I doubt I'll ever be worthy of the same positions you are. I know I don't say it, and I know I play it off a lot, but life just doesn't make sense without you here. I can't even turn a corner without looking for you these days. I'm pathetic sometimes." Shunsui finished as he quietly lay down on the bare floor beside his best friend. His stomach growled gently, mostly because he hadn't been eating well during Jushiro's absence. Ok, he'd kinda forgotten to eat, but now his stomach made itself well known. Exhaustion took hold as his arm found its way under his head, propping himself up just slightly as he slipped into the restful slumber. They'd eat later, right now; sleep was too tempting in the ever quiet quarters of Division Eight.

* * *

So, totally unbetaed. If you see some terribly erroneous issue, please let me know politely. I'm human after all (though there are days I wish I wasn't) and I make mistakes. As for the organ thing- yeah, not making this mpreg. Until later, walk away with the disturbing idea of Syazel shoving vampire hollow lizards into people's stomachs!


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